Change
Perhaps, all we need to succeed is just... 1 step away.
After receiving some communication from Mr. C’s 5th grade class in Noel, Missouri something became very clear to me: in the ‘Daraja blog’ I often allude to how life in the Kenyan bush (Daraja Academy campus) is different from life in the U.S., but I am very seldom specific as to what those differences are. I will now attempt to be very specific.
Here are a few:
• No matter how thirsty I get while on campus, I cannot take a cup off the shelf, hold it under the tap, fill it, and drink it. All of our drinking water is rainwater that has been caught, strained, and boiled by our kitchen staff.
• I have been trying to start an orchard – figs, pomegranates, guava, mango and papaya trees all grow in our climate. Because we are on a tight budget, I have to rely on the 15-year-old fence, which was built by the Baraka School, to protect these potentially food producing seedlings from harm. Unfortunately, a hungry goat looking through our fence at such succulent vegetation is like watching (pardon the cliché) a hot knife slice through butter. Under, over and through – those shameless herbivores ignore my fence and wreak havoc on my utopian dream orchard. [I will deny every line of this blog when reported to PETA but I whip every single stone I can reach at those bearded freaks before they gamble out of range.] Two quick things about goats – 1) they absolutely know when they are just outside of my throwing range, because they stop and all but wink and smile at me AND 2) they know the difference between an actual stone being thrown at them and when I am faking it and just going through the motions due to a lack of goat ammunition.
• The Daraja Academy campus lies about 10 miles farther than the last of the power poles that stretch from Nanyuki town, carrying that wonderful thing we all know as ELECTRICITY. Our electricity comes from a cranky, 20 year old diesel generator, which we run from 7pm to 10pm at night… when nothing has gone wrong. “What could go wrong?” Parts break, the generator burns through the fuel faster than it is supposed to… rodents decide to end their life in a more dramatic way than becoming hawk food. (The sound of a heavy-duty diesel generator grinding to a halt because a rat has “cannon balled” into its gears is not a pretty sound, smell or (during daylight hours) sight, which continues to haunt my nights.
• Electricity from 7pm to 10pm means no charging your laptop, IPod, camera etc. during the day. No showing your class a DVD, no electronic microscopes in the lab. No printers. No scanners. No kitchen appliances that run on electricity… no, nO, NO!
At first I felt that posting these truths might deter some from visiting the school, but as Popeye said, “I am’s, what I am’s” and Daraja ‘is what she is.’
Dream about her, admire her, improve her and critique her…but please be a part of her. There is a lot to like, more to love and a plethora of knowledge to learn from her. Daraja Academy is the story that visionaries simply WILL forward. The model that educators CROSS THEIR FINGERS will succeed. Most importantly, Daraja Academy is THE DENT that every average guy, like me, has to believe can be made in the World… if we believe sincerely enough, push hard enough, and dream big enough that it will happen…things will happen.
Girls’ lives will change. A small western village in an East African country will change. The expectations of what a government should provide… will change. Countries can change. Continents can change. The World, even if just one girl at a time, will change.
Most people said that trying to appeal to the masses to donate, even $20, would not work. But, it is slowly working. Please help us prove the world wrong. Together I know we can educate these deserving, incredible young ladies and I know that with work we can educate more. Not everyone can give $1,000. Not everyone can give $100. If you can’t give $20 I am sure that you know 20 people who you can tell about these girls of Daraja Academy. Help them. DO so and make your DENT!
Tags: daraja academy, electricity, Missouri, Noel, World change
Filed under From the Founder :
Comments (12) :
May 20th, 2009
May 21st, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Yes I very well agree with you and we are trying to raise money for you at Noel,MO.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:53 AM
The United States is very different,the way you described it.Every Tuesday we have to wear ties and we rent them for 25 cents,every Friday we wear jerseys and rent them for 50 cents and we raise money for you girls.We support you.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:04 AM
It must be hard not getting a drink when you are thirsty. It must be hard to keep the goats from eating the fruits you planted. We will try to help you with your money for Daraja Academy.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:06 AM
Water is very important to the earth.Without water the earth would not “be living.”. It must be hard not to take a drink when you are thirsty.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:10 AM
I never knew that a poor school, with help of other countries, can become a great education center for children. With all the hardships in your life, you still manage to live on through those difficulties.- Seth
You have great perseverance to continue live with all the troubles you encounter on a daily bases, yet you have so many troubles you manage to help others in need even less than yourself, and for that I thank you. – Zac:)
May 21st, 2009 at 9:17 AM
We (Mr. C’s class) have a tie Tuesday and a jersey Friday, over the time we have been doing these we raised 35 dollars.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:18 AM
It’s very interesting.We hope you get enough money to fix the fence.We will try to help prove the world wrong.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Hope you guys all have a great summer and we think Daraja academy rocks. It is awesome.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Yes I agree very well and Mr.C is renting out jerseys and ties for tie Tuesday and jersey Friday.The jerseys rent for $0.50 and ties are $0.25 to make money for you girls,for filters for water,and things to help you.
May 21st, 2009 at 11:11 AM
We will try to get people to help you with the money to fix the problems that you have.
May 21st, 2009 at 11:14 AM
I hope other school’s will donate like Noel School is.
May 21st, 2009 at 11:18 AM
We are trying to help you girls.I hope you girls raise enough money to drink water when ever you want.If I had a million dollars I would send half of it to you girls.